Some Pokémon Are Strong But Which Is The Weakest In The Pokémon Games?

The Pokémon franchise is home to over 1,000 Pokémon, all with their own unique abilities and fighting styles. Some, like Mewtwo and Kyrogre, are incredibly strong, earning their places on competitive teams all over the world, and some are so weak that players forget about their existence altogether. That begs the question; What is the weakest Pokémon?

Pokémon like Magikarp are the most obvious answer. While this may be true, the question is more complicated than it appears at first glance. Every Pokémon has its strengths and weaknesses, each reflected in their shared statistics; Health, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. It doesn’t make sense to label one Pokémon as the “weakest” and call it a day. There are a number of factors to consider, both from a competitive and base game standpoint. The weakest Pokémon for a Nuzlocke expert might not be the same for a competitive player and vice versa. It is important to consider every angle when deciding which Pokémon is truly the weakest of them all.

RELATED: Every Pokémon That Evolves By Sun Stone

The Worst of Each Stat

Every Pokémon has a stat they excel in and a stat that could use some help. In some cases, their lowest stat will be decent enough to get by, and in others, their lowest makes them all but useless to trainers. Just as there is a Pokémon best in each stat, there is a Pokémon who is considered the worst.

For starters, the Pokémon with the lowest base HP is Shedinja. This will not come as a surprise to most Pokémon fans, seeing how Shedinja always has one hit point. This is because of its unique ability, Wonder Guard. With this ability, Shedinja is immune to all damage unless it is super effective against the Pokémon. For this reason, Shedinja can be both a decent addition and a liability in a player’s competitive team.

RELATED: Pokémon: A Guide To Fairy Type Weaknesses & Strengths

The Pokémon with the lowest base Attack are Happiny and Chansey. They both have only a base ATK of 5 and are unfortunately not very viable in any competitive scene. Their only real use lies in their HP and SP. DEF stats, and the fact that they eventually evolve into Blissey. Happiny and Chansey are also tied for the lowest base DEF.

There isn’t a single Pokémon with the “lowest” Special Attack. This honor is shared among four different Pokémon; Shuckle, Feebas, Alolan Sandshrew, and Bonsly. They all share a base SP. ATK of 10, making them unpopular choices for trainers across the board.

RELATED: Pokémon Presents Reveals New Details About Upcoming Scarlet Violet DLC

The lowest Special Defense stat is also shared by several Pokémon. This time, the honor goes to Magikarp, Weedle, Caterpie, Stonjourner, Igglybuff, Carvanha and Deoxys (Attack Form). These Pokémon share a base SP. DEF of 20. Though these Pokémon have other strengths, their SP. DEF limits their utility.

The Pokémon with the lowest base Speed are Munchlax, Pyukumuku, and Shuckle. These three all possess a SPD stat of 5. Though they’re strong in some other areas, like Shuckle’s incredible DEF or Munchlax’s decent HP, their low SPD makes it difficult for them to get a single attack in before they’re knocked out of the battle.

Contenders For Weakest Pokémon

There are more criteria that make an individual Pokémon weak. It’s important to look at factors like base stat total after considering the weakest of each individual stat. Following this line of inquiry, the unevolved Pokémon with the lowest BST is solo form Wishiwashi. This should not come as a surprise, seeing as Wishiwashi’s gimmick is the fact that it’s very weak on its own. Wishiwashi’s solo form comes in at a BST of 175, having 45 HP, 20 ATK, 20 DEF, 25 SP. ATK and 40 SPD. When it reaches level 20 and assumes its school form, however, it packs a much bigger punch.

RELATED: Is Red’s Pokemon Team Actually Any Good?

Conversely, the evolved Pokémon with the lowest base stat total is the same one that holds the title of “lowest HP stat.” Shedinja’s single hit point doesn’t do it any favors here, and neither do the rest of its stats. It has a BST of 236. Shedinja’s ability gives it a unique edge in battle, and its base ATK stat is decent enough, but from a certain point of view, it’s the weakest fully evolved Pokémon.

Some trainers may also be curious about the identity of the weakest legendary Pokémon. Legendary Pokémon tend to be in a category of their own due to their higher BST and rarity, but the weakest of the bunch is no stronger than a Magikarp. Introduced in Sun and Moon, Cosmog has the lowest BST of the legendaries, only 200, and its moveset is extremely limited. Before it evolves into the much more powerful Solgaleo or Lunala, Cosmog only has access to Splash and Teleport, making this Pokémon only good at running away.

RELATED: Maushold Stats, Location, Abilities, & Moves

Type Combos To Avoid

Pokémon trainers have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to dual-type Pokémon. Some Pokémon type matchups go extremely well together but others only enhance each other’s weaknesses. Among these disappointing combinations is the Grass/Bug type. Bug types tend to be weak anyway, and Grass types aren’t the strongest either. With a total of seven weaknesses, two of which are 4x effective, this combination is full of red flags. The two typings share a weakness to Fire and Flying types that puts them at an extreme disadvantage. On top of their weaknesses, Bug/Grass types are resisted by seven other Pokémon types and only effective against six. All in all, Grass/Bug types aren’t the best bet for late-game fights or competitive matches.

The Ice/rock combo is another extremely delicate choice, due to the fact that the Ice type is one of the most fragile types in the series. Ice type Pokémon lack valuable DEF stats and can’t take a lot of damage. Adding a Rock typing to that doesn’t help much. Though Rock types can be powerful on their own, combining them with the Ice type amplifies their shared weakness to Steel and Fighting types. They don’t have many good resistances either, and there are only two Pokémon with this typing to begin with. Pokémon trainers may be better off leaving Amaura and Aurorus on the sidelines.

RELATED: How Mew Was Secretly Programmed Into Pokémon Red and Blue

Once again made up of only two Pokémon, trainers should avoid the Grass/Ice combination as well. Though Abomasnow is a strong Pokémon, its typing gives it seven weaknesses, one of which is 4x effective. Among its weaknesses are very common typings, like Bug types, Flying types, and Rock types. This combination can be effective under certain circumstances, but it’s very fragile compared to most others.

The question of “weakest Pokémon” is long-standing and difficult to answer. There are many things to consider and many candidates to choose from. BST, evolved and unevolved forms, abilities, and single stats all feed into the question, so answering the question well means giving it more than once answer.

RELATED: Pokémon: A Guide To Poison-Type Weaknesses & Strengths

Though players can just shout “Magikarp!” and move along, it’s more interesting to look at what really defines the weakest Pokémon. Players will find Pokémon that pop up in multiple categories, like Happiny and Chansey, or Pokémon that possess unique abilities to make up for their low stats, like Shedinja. Low stats don’t always make a Pokémon useless, especially when they can do more than just fight. Pokémon that players may never dream of using in competitive matches can be incredibly useful in challenges like Nuzlockes, and Pokémon with weaker stats and one incredible ability can make or break a competitive match. It’s important to remember that, no matter their strength, every Pokémon is someone’s favorite.